No Bake Pumpkin Pie Cheesecakes

A silky Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake filling is piled high over a spicy gingersnap crust and sprinkled with… More gingersnaps! The best part? This gorgeous dessert is No Bake!

I think I have problem. It’s a small problem; nothing to worry about. It’s a bit of an addiction, really. Again, nothing to worry about. I just thought you guys should know. In case it gets serious. Like mainline serious.

I have a small pumpkin cheesecake addiction. Don’t you worry your little heads about me! I can quit anytime.
Anytime.

I’m lying. I can’t quit. I have been making and eating pumpkin cheesecake since early September. I have unabashedly piped pumpkin cheesecake filling in mouth. Like a gangsta’. In front of my kids. I don’t care. This pumpkin cheesecake filling is that good. Real Talk.

I’ve used it in some thumbprint Cookies I developed for a client.

I’ve used it in these mini pies.

And today we’re just going to pipe it high, high over a gingersnap crust and call that our Thanksgiving dessert.

Let’s face it, homie – Thanksgiving is happening and it is happening soon. The Canadians already had their Thanksgiving, so you know – It will be our turn soon.

You will fire up your oven at or around 5AM. Inside this oven will be a pernil or a turkey the size of a toddler. Inside this oven you will attempt to fit in several side dishes and if you’re Latino – A lasagna. Then when the turkey and pernil skins have crisped to perfection, and the lasagna cheese has melted – Exhausted – You will make dessert which will require most, if not all your oven space. Because your family has a wicked sweet tooth and they love variety. Mostly because they don’t have to cook or bake a damn thing themselves. But we’re not here to talk about my family.

I’m here to tell you: You don’t have to take up valuable Thanksgiving oven real estate. I’m here to say you can have a bomb ass dessert in minutes, without turning up to 350°.

Are you ready?
Flow with me.

Gingersnaps. Buy a box, grab about 25 gingersnaps and mash ‘em up into crumbs. Pour the crumbs in a bowl. Throw some melted butter, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and vanilla bean paste over those crumbs. Mix until this situation resembles wet sand. BOOM. Crust. We’re done here for a bit. Let’s move on.

Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake filling. There’s cream cheese (duh). We have pumpkin puree and array of fall spice. You whip that situation good and nice. Add confectioners’ sugar for sweetness and stability. Then make that situation pillow soft and silky – Like when you get your hair blown out silky, by adding heavy cream. Transfer it to a piping bag with a tip. Buy a decorative tip. It’s the holidays. BOOM. Filling.
Now assemble that jammy. Spoon the gingersnap crust to the bottom of dessert glasses. Flatten it a bit. Pipe the pumpkin cheesecake filling. Sprinkle gingersnaps on top. Cause it’s decorative.

You’re done.

BOOM.

Dessert.

And you didn’t even have to bake it.
Now… If, let’s say, you develop a bit of an addition to these Pumpkin Pie Cheesecakes (and you will!), one lasting through the end of the holidays… Buy pants with a good stretch. We’ll talk about rehab.

Instructions

Make the gingersnap wafer crust:

Place the gingersnaps in a 1 gallon Ziploc bag. Seal the bag and with a meat tenderizer (or your hands) crush the gingersnaps until they form crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a medium bowl and pour the melted butter, sugar, ground cinnamon, and vanilla bean paste. Mix until the Gingersnaps are moistened and the texture resembles wet sand. Set aside while you make the cheesecake filling.

Make the pumpkin cheesecake filling:

To a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (a hand mixer and large bowl work here as well), add the cold cream cheese and pumpkin puree. Mix on medium/high until the mostly smooth, about 30 seconds or so. Add ground cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and vanilla extract. Mix for a few seconds to incorporate. Stop the mixer and add ¾ cup of confectioners’ sugar. Whisk on low speed until the confectioners’ sugar is mostly mixed with the cream cheese mixture. Increase the speed to high and mix until fluffy, about 2 minutes or so. Taste the filling and if you’d like a sweeter filling, add the remaining confectioners’ sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until that situation is sweet enough for you.

Add the heavy cream in 3 parts, allowing the heavy cream to thicken each time before each addition. Whip on high until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds. Transfer the pumpkin cheesecake filling to a large piping bag fitted with a star or round tip and place in the refrigerator until ready to use. Don’t own a piping bag? Don’t sweat it. You can either pour the filling inside a Ziploc bag and cut a hole in the corner of the bag, or spoon that situation. We’re easy here.

To assemble:

Grab 6, four ounce mini dessert bowls and your Gingersnap crumbs. Reserve about ¼ cup of the Gingersnaps crumbs and set aside. Line the bottom of each mini dessert bowl with a couple tablespoons of the Gingersnap crumbs and flatten with either a shot glass or with moistened fingers. Spoon or pipe pumpkin cheesecake filling into each dessert bowl and top with Gingersnaps crumbs.
Makes 6, four ounce desserts.